Gioiosa Guardia, Città fantasma della Sicilia
Gioiosa Guardia is an archaeological site and ghost town perched on a hilltop in Sicily. It was originally an organized settlement with multi-room houses built along the slope and connected by narrow streets that formed a planned layout.
The settlement was founded by the Vinciguerra family in 1366 and grew into a fortified place with a tower built in the 14th century. After earthquakes in 1783 and 1813 left it unsafe, residents abandoned it permanently and relocated downhill to Gioiosa Marea.
The site is also known as Gioiosa Vecchia, meaning old Gioiosa. This name reflects how residents eventually chose to relocate downhill and build the modern town of Gioiosa Marea, leaving this hilltop settlement behind.
The site today consists only of ruins that are freely accessible and open to explore. The area is open landscape, allowing visitors to walk freely among old walls and house foundations scattered across the hilltop.
On clear days, the hilltop offers long-distance views stretching from Mount Etna across to the Aeolian Islands and as far as Palermo and Calabria. This exceptional vantage point reveals why this strategic location remained inhabited and defended for centuries.
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